GS Paper III

News Excerpt:

Sugarcane byproduct pressmud can be a sweet spot for India’s compressed biogas sector. The byproduct can help generate 460,000 tonnes of compressed biogas CBG valued at Rs 2,484 crore.

More about news: 

• India has assumed a key position in the worldwide sugar economy, emerging as the foremost sugar producer since 2021-22, surpassing Brazil. 
• Additionally, it stands as the second-largest sugar exporter globally. The expansion of the ethanol biofuel sector over the past five years has not only strengthened the sugar industry but also contributed to the improved financial standing of sugar mills.

About Pressmud

• Pressmud is a residual byproduct in the sugar industry often known as filter cake or press cake, and has been acknowledged as a valuable resource for green energy production. 
• The byproduct can help Indian sugar mills generate extra revenue by utilizing it as a feedstock for biogas production through anaerobic digestion and subsequent purification to create compressed biogas (CBG). 
• The yield of pressmud falls within the range of 3-4 percent weight by weight with the input sugarcane processed in a unit.

The use of pressmud as a feedstock for CBG offers several advantages:

• It eliminates the complexities associated with the feedstock supply chain, as found in the case of agricultural residue, where biomass harvesting machinery is required for harvesting and aggregation. 
• The feedstock is sourced from one or two producers or sugar mills, as opposed to agricultural residue, which involves multiple producers / farmers within a narrow window of 45 days per year. 
• Unlike municipal solid trash, where the presence of inorganic debris might harm anaerobic digesters and reduce gas flow, the quality of pressmud is not a concern. 
• Unlike agri-residue, it doesn't require pretreatment because it doesn't include the organic polymer lignin.
• According to conversion efficiency, a tonne of CBG is produced from about 25 tons of pressmud. By contrast, 50 tonnes of animal manure are needed to produce the same amount of gas. Moreover, it is more affordable than other feedstocks like animal dung (Rs 1-2/kg) and agricultural residue (Rs 1.5-2/kg) at a cost of Rs 0.4-0.6 per kilogramme.

The use of pressmud has specific challenges:

• While once considered a disposal issue for sugar mills, owners have now recognised its potential for revenue generation. This realization has resulted in a substantial increase in pressmud prices over the last two years, rising from Rs 100 per tonne to Rs 500-600 per tonne. 
• Pressmud faces competition for use as fertilizer and in bio-composting, contending with spent wash and being used as fuel in brick kilns. The lack of long-term agreements with sugar mills and the involvement of mediators in procurement further compound the challenges. 
• Another challenge arises from the need for CBG plants to store feedstock for the entire year, given that sugar mills operate for a specific period. 
• Storing pressmud proves challenging as it undergoes gradual decomposition, resulting in the breakdown of organic compounds. This complicates long-term storage and raises production costs.

Regional production:

• Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, the primary sugarcane-growing states, contribute to approximately 65 percent of the total sugarcane cultivation area. 
• Key sugarcane-producing states are Uttar Pradesh (225.2 million tonnes), Maharashtra (123.9 million tonnes), Karnataka (62.5 million tonnes), Tamil Nadu (16.9 million tonnes) and Bihar (12.1 million tonnes). 
• Collectively, this is around 440 million tonnes out of India’s overall sugarcane production, which reached about 495 million tonnes in 2022-23.
• In the 2022-23 timeframe, among the 531 operational sugar mills in India, 330 were privately owned, 190 were cooperative and 11 were public. 
• India’s sugar production for the fiscal year 2022-23 amounted to 32.74 million tonnes, along with approximately 11.4 million tonnes of pressmud. This quantity has the potential to generate 460,000 tonnes of CBG valued at Rs 2,484 crore, considering the minimum guaranteed price of Rs 54/kg under the central government’s Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation scheme.

To fully unlock the potential of this resource, certain interventions are necessary at the earliest:

• States with the highest CBG potential from pressmud should implement bioenergy policies that streamline the approval process for projects. This can provide a unified solution and a variety of incentives, both monetary and non-monetary. Two examples of states taking progressive steps are Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which have introduced supportive bioenergy policies for CBG plants.
• In order to mitigate the risk of unsustainable feedstock costs leading to long-term economic instability in CBG facilities, the government ought to institute a mechanism that regulates pressmud prices below a designated threshold. Encouraging sugar mills to sign long-term contracts (10–15 years) with CBG plants that include 5–10% annual rate increases will guarantee profitability.
• Comprehensive research is essential to developing technologies for pressmud storage that prevent methane emissions into the environment and minimize gas loss from the feedstock. 
• In addition, state renewable energy nodal agencies and biogas development and training centres should conduct periodic training sessions to educate operators on the functioning of CBG plants, handling scientific equipment and feedstock characterisation.

Conclusion:

Pressmud is a low-hanging fruit for the CBG industry and it should be harnessed promptly to address waste management issues in sugar mills, create a sustainable energy source and supply organic fertilizer to our soils.

Prelims PYQ

Q. Among the following, which one is the least water-efficient crop?​ (UPSC 2021)

(a) Sugarcane ​

(b) Sunflower​

(c) Pearl millet ​

(d) Red gram​

Q. With reference to the cultivation of Kharif crops in India in the last five years, consider the following statements : (UPSC 2019)

I. Area under rice cultivation is the highest.

II. Area under the cultivation of jowar is more than that of oilseeds.

III. Area of cotton cultivation is more than that of sugarcane.

IV. Area under sugarcane cultivation has steadily decreased.

Which of the statements given above are correct ?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4 only

(c) 2 and 4 only

(d) 1,2,3 and 4